277: Chapter 277 The Immortal Way is Cruel

"Three hundred years ago..."

Ye Tianhao repeated those four words in a low voice, his gaze falling on Elder Guan Nan's blood-stained face before sweeping over Murong Linger, who lay in his arms with her eyes tightly shut and eyelashes trembling slightly. "Sect Master Fan actually harbored such an old grudge?"

But he still felt something was off. Speaking of three hundred years ago, hadn't the Xuanyou Sect wiped out the Chen family? Besides, being able to instantly kill two Golden Core Cultivators was simply too exaggerated.

Furthermore, according to the Xuanyou Sect's style, after killing a Sect Master, they would immediately follow up by annihilating the entire Sect. Forget about people; they wouldn't even leave an egg yolk intact. How could they have spared Fan Lang, who was only at the Foundation Establishment Stage?

Rather than an assassination, it seemed more like a punishment and a deterrent.

Ye Tianhao voiced his doubts.

But Guan Nan also felt that since three hundred years had passed, perhaps Xuan Yin and his son Xuan Ye had acted together; who could remember such distant events clearly?

Those past events could only be clarified by asking the parties involved.

Ye Tianhao immediately said, "Senior, if you can trust me, why not return to the Qingyun Sect with me?"

Seeing this, Guan Nan was naturally more than happy to oblige. Having a Sect for protection was far better than wandering as they were now.

Using the Jade Talisman, Ye Tianhao left the place together with Elder Guan.

Inside the Qingyun Sect.

Guan Nan, leading the young Murong Linger, knelt down immediately upon seeing Yun Ling above. The white-haired old man appeared utterly destitute at this moment.

No one around could tell that this was the Grand Elder of the Ganglei Sect. Once a pillar of the Ganglei Sect who held great power and possessed profound cultivation, his clothes were now stained with dust, his white hair at the temples was disheveled, and his back was bent very low, completely devoid of his former majesty and character.

He tightly gripped the hand of the little girl beside him, his palms drenched in cold sweat, as Murong Linger shrank timidly by his side.

Her clear eyes were filled with terror, and she bit her lower lip hard, not daring to make a sound. Her small hand clutched Guan Nan's hem tightly, fearing that the scene before her might harm her only remaining relative.

Yun Ling stood up and personally stepped forward to help Guan Nan up.

"Elder Guan Nan, though we belong to different Sects, we are old acquaintances. There is no need for such grand ceremony; please rise and speak."

Guan Nan remained motionless, his forehead pressed tightly against the cold floor. His voice was hoarse and dry, carrying endless exhaustion and guilt: "Sect Master Yun Ling, this old man is unworthy of such kindness.

The Ganglei Sect has met with disaster, and the entire Sect has been overturned. Only this old man and this poor child are left to survive. Having nowhere else to go, we were rescued by Little Friend Ye and have shamelessly come to seek refuge at the Qingyun Sect.

I only beg the Sect Master to take us in, grandfather and granddaughter, and give us a place to stay. I am willing to work like an ox or a horse to repay the Qingyun Sect's kindness in taking us in."

As his voice fell, a silence filled the hall. The Qingyun Sect Disciples on both sides all showed expressions of surprise; they couldn't imagine that the dignified Grand Elder of the Ganglei Sect would end up in such a displaced state, kneeling and begging for survival.

Standing to the side, Ye Tianhao stepped forward and bowed to Yun Ling with his hands clasped: "Sect Master, I happened to encounter Elder Guan while outside. Seeing that he was being hunted and in a difficult situation, and considering that the Ganglei Sect and our Qingyun Sect have never had any grievances, I took the liberty of bringing them back. I ask the Sect Master to make a decision."

Yun Ling nodded slightly. After Ye Tianhao arrived at the Qingyun Sect, he had reported this matter to Yun Ling, and it was shrouded in many mysteries.

For now, he could only settle them in before asking for details.

Yun Ling looked at Ye Tianhao with a hint of approval in his eyes: "You acted steadily and considered everything thoroughly this time; you have done well. You may leave first; I have some matters to discuss with Elder Guan Nan in private."

"Yes."

Ye Tianhao withdrew in a low voice, but his eyes still carried a heavy sense of unease.

Yun Jian, who had come out with Ye Tianhao, saw that he was in a bad mood and asked with a light smile, "Tian Hao, what's wrong?"

Ye Tianhao said gloomily, "Elder Yun Jian, I just feel that things have changed so much. The Ganglei Sect was previously so powerful, firmly suppressing the other three Sects, yet it was destroyed in just a single breath."

He was born into the Ye family, which was a poor household in his childhood. Every day, his father and grandfather would worry about a few taels of silver for the Tax Silver. Now, his grandfather Ye Jing had put in so much effort to make the Ye family rise, yet it also showed him how minuscule the Ye family currently was.

His grandfather was merely a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, yet the Golden Core Middle Stage Sect Master of the once-prominent Ganglei Sect, along with the noble families and commoners of those territories, had all perished without a single survivor.

Those monsters riding on their heads were layer upon layer. Was cultivation simply jumping from a small cage into a larger one?

Elder Yun Jian stopped his pace. His gaze toward the depths of the hall darkened slightly as he raised a hand to pat Ye Tianhao's shoulder.

His tone carried a hint of the vicissitudes of life and a touch of guidance: "The path of cultivation is inherently a matter of the strong preying on the weak and the survival of the fittest. There is no such thing as eternal prosperity.

The Ganglei Sect seemed powerful, suppressing the Sects in all directions, but a tall tree catches the wind. It just so happened to run into a ruthless and malicious power like the Xuanyou Sect; its destruction was only a matter of overnight."

He paused, looking at the confusion and unease in the depths of Ye Tianhao's eyes, and continued, "You come from a humble background, and now that the Ye family is just starting out, it's only natural to feel small.

This cultivation world is inherently composed of layer upon layer of barriers. Mortals are ants, and Cultivators are hunters. Above the Golden Core is the Nascent Soul, and above the Nascent Soul is Soul Transformation.

There is always a higher mountain. The behemoth in your eyes is nothing more than dust that can be crushed at will in the eyes of truly top-tier powers."

Ye Tianhao clenched his fists until his knuckles turned white, the chill in his heart lingering for a long time. He remembered the embarrassment of his childhood when his family couldn't even put food on the table.

He thought of his grandfather Ye Jing's day and night of bitter cultivation and constant running around, all just to let the Ye family gain a foothold in the Mortal world. Even securing a stable territory required every ounce of his effort.

Yet looking at this cultivation world, a Golden Core Cultivator could die just like that, and the vast Ganglei Sect could be wiped out in an instant. From the Sect Master and Elders down to the ordinary Disciples, and the noble families and commoners who depended on them, not a single person was spared, leaving no room even for a breath of respite.

"Elder, is it that even after cultivating, striving for cultivation levels, and seizing power, one still cannot escape the fate of being slaughtered at will?"

Ye Tianhao asked in a low voice, with a hint of imperceptible bitterness, "We put in all our effort to break free from the shackles of the Mortal world, only to fall into a larger cage. With a wave of a hand, the strong can cause countless families to be destroyed. What, then, is the purpose of this cultivation?"

Elder Yun Jian sighed softly, his gaze turning toward the surging clouds in the sky. His voice was faint but firm: "Cultivation is inherently about defying heaven to change one's fate. If one is content with being small, they can only be trapped in a cage forever, left to be slaughtered at will.

Only by climbing up step by step, solidifying your Foundation, and strengthening yourself can you protect the people you want to protect and guard the home you want to guard.

Your grandfather spent all his blood and effort to revitalize the Ye family, and you entered the Qingyun Sect to cultivate bitterly and seek progress; isn't it all just so you won't be an ant that others can trample upon?

The destruction of the Ganglei Sect is because they weren't strong enough, and even more so because of the cruelty of this world."

These words were like a clap of thunder, scattering some of the confusion in Ye Tianhao's heart.

His hands hanging at his sides slowly relaxed, the terror in his eyes faded, and was replaced by a sharp glint of determination.

He understood that there was never absolute stability in this world. To avoid being destroyed, one must become strong enough—strong enough to withstand the wind and rain, and strong enough that no one would dare to easily bully them.

The Ye family was still small, and his path was still long. He must not let a moment of sighing disturb his Dao Heart.

"This Disciple has learned. Thank you, Elder, for waking me up."

Ye Tianhao bowed. His emotions had already calmed, leaving only a heart full of composure and fighting spirit.

Yun Jian nodded slightly, a flicker of approval in his eyes: "It's good that you can understand. There are many suspicious points in this matter. The Xuanyou Sect has always acted ruthlessly.

They were already ruthless and heartless three hundred years ago. Their sudden destruction of the Ganglei Sect now is definitely not on a whim. The Sect Master is discussing with Elder Guan Nan, presumably to uncover the hidden truth. You should just cultivate with peace of mind and guard your original intention."

Ye Tianhao complied and watched Elder Yun Jian depart before turning to walk toward his cultivation residence. His steps were steady, no longer showing the dejection from before.

He knew deeply that from this day forward, his own cultivation was for the Ye family—only by becoming strong could he ensure that the Ye family would never meet the same end as the Ganglei Sect.